Althouse: "As his criminal justice proposal made clear months ago, Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded."

June 8, 2020

"As his criminal justice proposal made clear months ago, Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded."

"He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain. Biden supports the urgent need for reform — including funding for public schools, summer programs, and mental health and substance abuse treatment separate from funding for policing — so that officers can focus on the job of policing...."

Said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates, quoted at The Hill.

Has Biden himself come forward to speak to reporters? I'd like to see him do that and to face aggressive questioning on the subject — as aggressive as the questioning reporters use on Trump.

It's irritating to get the message from a campaign spokesman, and I really dislike the preface "As his criminal justice proposal made clear months ago." So much has happened in the last 2 weeks, and Biden should make a show of caring about the new push for dismantling the police. To say, we already talked about this months ago sounds a bit callous toward the people who are demanding very strong measures like abolishing the police and unresponsive to those of us who are anxious about these extreme demands.

64 comments:

Michael K said...: I think that is referred to as campaign jiu jitsu.; 6/8/20, 1:03 PM
Ken B said...: Which would be unnerving? Watching the press avoid any tough question or watching Biden respond “Look, Fat” to a real question.

The decision to keep Biden away from reporters is telling.; 6/8/20, 1:05 PM
Sebastian said...: "It's irritating to get the message from a campaign spokesman"

Irritating, why?

You mean, there's a chance Biden could put together two or three coherent sentences?

You mean, he might be more than a figure head and place holder?

You mean, you are still considering voting Dem and therefore have the capacity to be "irritated" by something that makes Dems look worse?; 6/8/20, 1:05 PM
Achilles said...: Biden is not going to be the candidate. He can't appear in public.; 6/8/20, 1:08 PM
Achilles said...: Democrats hired Chauvin.

Democrats trained Chauvin.

Democrats ran the union that protected Chauvin.

Democrats implemented the policies Chauvin followed.

Democrats swept Chauvin's misdeeds under the rug for years.

Democrats refused to charge Chauvin.

People who voted for democrats killed George Floyd.; 6/8/20, 1:10 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Biden is utterly incapable of doing what Althouse wants. However, he is going to have to try to if he wants to be president. The media will likely cover for his mental insufficiencies, unless they intend to oust him off the ticket, which is what I think is going to happen. They may very well use any opportunity to question him to put the knife in his back.

The crocodiles are circling Biden.; 6/8/20, 1:10 PM
Kevin said...: Folks, Biden called for leadership and unity.

His staff is busy coordinating with a variety of interest groups to see if he has anything else to say.; 6/8/20, 1:12 PM
Nonapod said...: Biden should make a show of caring about the new push for dismantling the police.

From a purely amoral political standpoint, yeah he probably should make such a show.

But with regards to actually doing anything resembling the right thing, any effort to defund the police is clearly the absolute wrong thing to do since it would solve no problems and in fact would only hurt the very communities that such an effort is oestensibly designed to help.

Of course personally I believe that Joe Biden is in fact a bad person who shouldn't be running for president at all. So I guess the "right thing" would be for him to drop out.; 6/8/20, 1:15 PM
Kevin said...: This is the glorious election where the factions of the Democratic Party keep making outrageous demands on the nominee to ensure one or more voting blocs doesn't stay home in November.

Biden announcing his Cabinet will be LGBT women of color wearing pink pussy hats at all times is not out of the question.

As they say, he who stands for nothing can be forced into anything.; 6/8/20, 1:18 PM
gspencer said...: "Has Biden himself come forward to speak to reporters?"

You know that's not gonna happen unless they're all CNN "reporters." Even Hillary in 2016, who basically had her wits about her, wouldn't do that. Always friendly venues. Warren in 2020 was especially particular where she appeared.

Biden doesn't have his wits about him. He will never appear in front of anyone who's not super friendly.; 6/8/20, 1:19 PM
Mr. Forward said...: I may have seen may first Biden bumper sticker.

"The best thing to come out of a Delaware basement since Dogfish Head”; 6/8/20, 1:19 PM
mesquito said...: Remember when the 1990s when the Democrats were bragging about how any “death penalties“ they could cram into the Federal statutes?; 6/8/20, 1:24 PM
Dave Begley said...: Althouse, "It's irritating to get the message from a campaign spokesman …."

That's because Joe can't string three coherent sentences together. Check out the video of Biden at on The View TV show.; 6/8/20, 1:24 PM
Dave Begley said...: Sorry Sebastian, I didn't see your comment before I wrote mine.; 6/8/20, 1:25 PM
I Callahan said...: I'd like to see him do that and to face aggressive questioning on the subject — as aggressive as the questioning reporters use on Trump.

Don't hold your breath.

Biden has dementia. If he wins, he's going to be controlled in the background by his handlers, which will be Obama lackeys. He's incapable of any sort of debate, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Dems put up a debate schedule that's so inherently undoable that the GOP and Trump can't accept it, meaning there will be no debates.; 6/8/20, 1:25 PM
Dave Begley said...: Joe will make his speech and accept the nomination and then withdraw by Labor Day. It will be Harris and probably Demmings.; 6/8/20, 1:26 PM
I Callahan said...: Achilles - I'm with you on the Democrats, but the police union is there to protect cops FROM the Democrat politicians in these cities. I know - my Dad was a Detroit cop during the Coleman Young years. And even though the union was weak, they were successful in keeping Young from pushing some of the same nonsense that these Dem politicians are pushing today.

After this past 2 weeks, don't expect unions to go away. It's the cops' only defense to being thrown under the bus by those Dem pols. They're more necessary now than ever.; 6/8/20, 1:28 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: Are we still pretending old Joe will be the nominee? Really.; 6/8/20, 1:30 PM
djf said...: "To say, we already talked about this months ago sounds a bit callous toward the people who are demanding very strong measures like abolishing the police . . ."

In this situation, we should worry about being "callous" toward a mob issuing imperious demands that the whole society be placed at the mercy of violent criminals and whatever vigilante gangs arise to "protect" us?; 6/8/20, 1:33 PM
cubanbob said...: "Has Biden himself come forward to speak to reporters? I'd like to see him do that and to face aggressive questioning on the subject — as aggressive as the questioning reporters use on Trump."

Fellow Althousians, who wants to start a betting pool on the comment above was made either by the Pollyanna Althouse or the cruel neutrality Cynical Althouse? Inquiring minds want to know. Ladies and Gents, please place your bets.; 6/8/20, 1:33 PM
PM said...: If Biden is elected, Twitter will run the country.; 6/8/20, 1:46 PM
alanc709 said...: Biden has changed his stance on every other issue. He's deliberately made nothing clear. That's why his spokesman spoke for him- he has nothing to say.; 6/8/20, 1:51 PM
MayBee said...: Last week or so, he talked to some community leaders in Delaware about it. He said cops should start shooting people in the arm instead of the body. So it's all taken care of now.; 6/8/20, 1:52 PM
Bob Boyd said...: There's no reason Biden should have to come forward, answer questions, explain or any of that. Biden isn't Trump. What else do you need to know?
If that isn't enough for you, then you're a Deplorable and you just need to accept that and embrace it.; 6/8/20, 2:01 PM
narciso said...: splunge, but he's not being indecisive,; 6/8/20, 2:04 PM
JackWayne said...: “... unresponsive to those of us who are anxious about these extreme demands.”

Here’s a thought: “ Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”; 6/8/20, 2:06 PM
Narayanan said...: Professora wrote : Has Biden himself come forward to speak to reporters? I'd like to see him do that and to face aggressive questioning on the subject — as aggressive as the questioning reporters use on Trump.

It's irritating to get the message from a campaign spokesman,
--------========
this plaint sounds very Inga-ish to me -
makes me wonder if Inga is her alter-ego/agent-provocateur!; 6/8/20, 2:07 PM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: This was a bomblette placed ... to signal to all the batt-shit crazy morons who want to de-fund police that they are pushing to hard for cray cray. back off. Old Joe and his handlers need you to.; 6/8/20, 2:17 PM
NMObjectivist said...: "It's irritating to get the message from a campaign spokesman ..."

Yes, but this is how his entire administration will be conducted.; 6/8/20, 2:18 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Why does Joe Biden hate black people?; 6/8/20, 2:27 PM
Kay said...: I think the only chance the democrats have is for Barack Obama to be Biden’s vp pick.; 6/8/20, 2:28 PM
FullMoon said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/8/20, 2:29 PM
Earnest Prole said...: Here’s a proposal for you, Mr Biden:

We know 1 percent of officers commit 99 percent of egregious police abuse. They’re “bad apples,” which means our society will rot if they’re not tossed. Police unions defend them, largely for tribal reasons.

The solution is to statistically identify the 1 percent in every police department across the country and allocate $5 billion to pay for their firing and severance. Leftover funds can be donated to police-union charities.

The price is surely cheaper than the current arrangement when the cost of rioting is taken into account, and the proposal will have the added value of saving black, white, and brown lives.

The remaining 99 percent of good cops will say “good riddance” to their corrupt bullshit colleagues and we can go back to striving for an honest, safe society.; 6/8/20, 2:42 PM
rcocean said...: Joe doesn't have to speak to reporters. The reporters already know he's right. Only racists would disagree.; 6/8/20, 2:53 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Dog faced pony soldier is going to stay in his kennel incommunicado until some brave MSNBC or CNN female reporter approaches with a glass of milk and a plate of warm cookies, and promises to let Joe sniff her hair. Until then, zip is the lip. The man is incapable of answering a question.; 6/8/20, 2:54 PM
n.n said...: Stop the warlock judgments, end the witch hunts in progress, then change the laws as needed, as warranted, and adjust funding commensurate to law enforcement. Instead, they are shifting/sharing responsibility with the officers, where it should reside with the legislature and attorney generals (e.g. Ellison) of each state. The reactive elements are placing the cart before the horse, hoping for a planned child and keep her, too. They are surely playing with a double-edged scalpel. Drugs, disease, and Democrats.; 6/8/20, 3:03 PM
papper said...: Biden will never face aggressive questioning from reporters who are on his side.; 6/8/20, 3:19 PM
narciso said...: more of that civility,

https://theothermccain.com/2020/06/08/israel-adam-burns-lawyer-attorney-brooklyn-new-york-arrest/; 6/8/20, 3:21 PM
YoungHegelian said...: To say, we already talked about this months ago sounds a bit callous toward the people who are demanding very strong measures like abolishing the police and unresponsive to those of us who are anxious about these extreme demands.

What the hell's the damn honky supposed to say? If he says one thing, he loses the moderates. He says something else & the children of the Revolution eat him alive.

You may have noticed it's not a fun time to be a Democrat. Trump's job is a lot easier. His base will support him pretty much all the way to the use of tactical nuclear weapons against rioters. I mean, his base doesn't live around ground zero (that's hyperbole, by the way, for the humor impaired).; 6/8/20, 3:37 PM
Browndog said...: Disbanding the police will go about as well as Bush disbanding the Iraqi army.

Men in longstanding roles of guns and authority don't just walk away and take up woodworking. I wouldn't give the politicians and advocates that took their livelihood 6 months.; 6/8/20, 3:39 PM
stlcdr said...: Vice President Biden?; 6/8/20, 3:59 PM
tim in vermont said...: About that return to normal you were planning to vote for...; 6/8/20, 4:06 PM
DavidUW said...: Is Biden alive?; 6/8/20, 4:22 PM
Gk1 said...: Its frightfully funny to see the democrats try to do damage control on defunding the police and trying to pretend its meant to "take things off their plate" like law enforcement and 911 calls.

They really painted themselves into a corner this time. After the riots of the last few weeks who really thinks we need LESS police protection?; 6/8/20, 4:30 PM
RMc said...: The decision to keep Biden away from reporters is telling.

The more Biden stays away from the media, the better he does in the polls.; 6/8/20, 5:07 PM
mikee said...: Joe Biden has dementia. He may have solid policy proposals on the record from months ago, but hey, Joe Biden has dementia. He may have the lead in polls, but hey, Joe Biden has dementia. Did I mention that Joe Biden has dementia, and it is only getting worse?

When will the world stop acting like Joe Biden will make it to the election without his dementia causing a major, scandalous public meltdown? Get the man into his home again, and trot out another person to lose to Trump. Having a dementia patient as the Democrat standard bearer and leading thinker in the party is just too, too obvious a demonstration of the lack of seriousness of the entire Dem Party.; 6/8/20, 5:19 PM
narciso said...: marianne williamson, remember her, thinks disbanding the police is bad, because she think they will form a militia,; 6/8/20, 5:23 PM
Jim in St Louis said...: I have been told multiple times on multiple venues that "Defund the Police" does not really mean to reduce their budgets or anything like that.

I predict Biden will be very much in favor of "DTP" in about 24 hours.; 6/8/20, 5:29 PM
Yancey Ward said...: New York Times tomorrow:

"Young Hegelian calls for nuclear strikes against protestors."; 6/8/20, 6:04 PM
narciso said...: like captain pike, you know it's like that line from futurama about the first robot president, 'john q adding machine, who promised not to go on a murderous rampage,' and broke his promise,; 6/8/20, 6:08 PM
GingerBeer said...: The presumed justification for Biden's candidacy was his judgment and experience. He has been apologizing for them since the first day of this campaign. How long will this current belief last before he yet again submits to the Wokezis of the party he presumes to lead?; 6/8/20, 6:10 PM
glenn said...: “ The decision to keep Biden away from reporters is telling.”

Even though none of them is ever going to ask him a question that he didn’t know was coming.; 6/8/20, 6:10 PM
Mark said...: like captain pike, you know it's like that line from futurama about the first robot president, 'john q adding machine, who promised not to go on a murderous rampage,' and broke his promise

Nope. None of that has survived the moderation regime.

No more fun allowed.; 6/8/20, 6:46 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "Even though none of them is ever going to ask him a question that he didn’t know was coming."

The problem, though, is that Biden will forget what is coming. The man has the lost the ability to even read cue cards and teleprompters without fucking it up.; 6/8/20, 6:46 PM
FullMoon said...: The decision to keep Biden away from reporters is telling.

The more Biden stays away from the media, the better he does in the polls.

Look back at 2016, Hillary was also absent; 6/8/20, 7:25 PM
danoso said...: Blogger Kevin said...
Folks, Biden called for leadership and unity.

His staff is busy coordinating with a variety of interest groups to see if he has anything else to say.

6/8/20, 1:12 PM

I got a good laugh out of this, thanks.; 6/8/20, 7:48 PM
JaimeRoberto said...: Biden himself might not want to defund the police, but he wouldn't really be President. What do his advisors think? What would his cabinet think?; 6/8/20, 7:52 PM
Sally327 said...: When I saw the response about funding for "summer programs" as part of Biden's response I immediately thought of "midnight basketball".; 6/8/20, 8:18 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Gk1 said...
Its frightfully funny to see the democrats try to do damage control on defunding the police and trying to pretend its meant to "take things off their plate" like law enforcement and 911 calls.

They really painted themselves into a corner this time. After the riots of the last few weeks who really thinks we need LESS police protection?

6/8/20, 4:30 PM

Biden can say whatever his handlers tell him to, the Trump campaign still knows that quite a few of his staffers gave bail money to Anfifa rioters. That'll make a great campaign ad.; 6/8/20, 9:02 PM
Michael K said...: Biden has no idea what he said 5 minutes ago.

Listening to country music is much better; 6/8/20, 9:47 PM
Mark said...: The guy who racially profiled Corn Pop and harassed him merely because he was black and had black hair is not going to get a lot of support from the Defund crowd.

Never a bright guy to begin with, I would not be surprised if, notwithstanding his pledge to pick a woman running mate, Biden were to think that Governor Coonman would be a good choice.; 6/8/20, 11:05 PM
DeepRunner said...: Biden wouldn't stand up to aggressive questioning, assuming it was done. MSM would probably go easy on Creepy/Sleepy/Sloppy Joe. "Mr. Biden, can you speak to what's WRONG with Trump's plan?"; 6/9/20, 12:26 AM
Gary Rosen said...: "I'd like to see him do that and to face aggressive questioning on the subject — as aggressive as the questioning reporters use on Trump."

You are too funny Ann.; 6/9/20, 2:38 AM
Sam L. said...: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOObodys gonna harsh Joe's mellow.; 6/9/20, 11:51 AM